What in the WORLD is going on ???!!!

I am a nurse.   I have been spit on, kicked, slapped, had nails dug into my arms, and been called every name under the sun.

But I am not afraid to go to work.

And I am not afraid to park my car in the nurses’ parking garage and walk into the hospital, or to stop at the grocery store on my way home from work while wearing my scrubs, or to run into a convenience store wearing what obviously is the uniform of a nurse.  I am not frightened that because I wear a nursing uniform, people will want to kill me.  I am not afraid that someone will destroy my car or my home because I am a nurse.   And I am not afraid for my life because some gang will put a hit out on me because I am a white nurse.  My biggest fear is that my knees and my back will ache after a shift.  THAT is my biggest fear.   That’s it – just my back and my knees.

And here I sit this morning after an exhausting 15-hour shift yesterday, and yes, my knees and back are killing me.   I am flabbergasted to say the least, watching the news of the riots in Baltimore, and all the threats by gangs to kill all white police officers across the United States.   SERIOUSLY?   Oh, and you guessed it – Al Sharpton is on his way there to encourage the thugs.   I’m angry.   That “man” does NOTHING good.  I really wish he’d just shut his mouth, do an about-face, and GO HOME!  And for the love of GOD, the title of “Reverend” needs to be REMOVED from any reference to him on television, radio, newspapers………   everywhere!   God is NOT pleased with his race baiting, fear mongering, and thug encouraging.  I am angry.

So, now I need to worry about my son who goes into the south side of Chicago during his free time, to mentor young kids after school, and help them with their homework?   Good grief!

Oh, I have an idea!  Why doesn’t Al Sharpton go back to his “church” and load up some buses with kids to go on a “mission trip” to clean up the city that did NOT belong to the people he ENCOURAGED to go to St. Louis and DESTROY ?  That way, the REAL people of St. Louis can have their homes and their communities back?   Imagine the lesson those kids could learn on THAT mission trip?   (One stipulation – they must come from HIS church! – He sent the people to destroy the city, so why doesn’t he send their KIDS to clean up the city?)

How much longer before it’s nurses and doctors in the Emergency Rooms that are the “bad guys?”   How MUCH longer before I have to be afraid to drive to work in scrubs?  or to stop at the grocery store?   How much longer before school teachers are afraid to go to work?

I taught my children to stop every man or woman wearing a military uniform, and to shake their hands, look them in the eyes, and say “THANK YOU!”   And they DO IT!  And I am PROUD OF THEM FOR THAT!

I believe we need to stop every uniformed POLICE OFFICER and thank THEM as well!   And I believe that RIGHT NOW, we need to HIT OUR KNEES and pray for their safety.  Because THEY actually DO have a reason to be afraid to drive to work in their uniforms, park in their parking lot, walk into their department, or stop at the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk on the way home from work.  There is a hit out on their lives – because they are cops, and now?  because they are white.  I doubt their brothers and sisters in uniform who are people of color think that’s okay….

And to that brave, heart-broken, mother who chased her child down in the midst of chaos to stop him from being STUPID…………   I HIGH FIVE YOU!   That’s what mothers and fathers do!  We go after our children and we get all up in their business.   THAT’S OUR JOB!   No matter how much they hate us for it, no matter how much we are laughed at, no matter what ANY BODY THINKS!!!   We take that job SERIOUSLY, and we go AFTER OUR CHILDREN!

HIGH FIVE, Baltimore Mom!!!

Shut up, Al Sharpton, and GO HOME!   Shame on you !!!  Shame on you for teaching people and encouraging people to HATE EACH OTHER!  Shame on you!

If you are a POLICE OFFICER – I not only THANK YOU, I SALUTE you!